


Defenseless

by mallardeer



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-10-01 14:34:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10192088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mallardeer/pseuds/mallardeer
Summary: Here are a couple of missing scenes from 2.15 Exodus.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this to tumblr first, but my reach there is small! Enjoy.

Lena gets to work as soon as she gets back to the office and barely even notices the hours it takes before she has something to tell Kara. “I found something,” she says, as soon as Kara answers the phone. “A supposedly defunct Luthor warehouse. It’s big enough to build anything,” she says, suddenly noticing movement in the reflection of her office windows. “Or to hide something,” she continues, reaching for her taser.

  
She takes down the first goon and drops her phone, but there are two more who manage to wrestle her out onto the balcony. Why did I leave the door open? she curses fleetingly.

The goons are incompetent and instead of just knocking her unconscious, they somehow manage to shove her over the balcony railing. She’s in freefall for maybe a second, but it feels like years. All of a sudden, her momentum is stopped, and she finds herself carefully cradled in familiar strong arms. “I’ve got you,” a well-known voice assures her.

“Oh my god, Kara,” she practically sobs, hiding her face in her rescuer’s neck, and neither she nor Supergirl notices the slip.

“Are you all right?” Supergirl asks softly, giving her a few moments. She nods once, and they head back up to her balcony. “Drop something?” Supergirl snarks at the two idiots still gawping on the balcony and easily dispatches them with her ice breath.

Supergirl carefully sets her on her feet, and all she can do is stare wonderingly at her. Then she decides she’d better continue the charade that she doesn’t know this is Kara. “How did you know?” she asks, and Supergirl stammers through a lie that she was getting coffee with Kara Danvers.

“That was lucky,” she says, unable not to laugh in disbelief. “Erm, I’m glad you’re here. There’s something you’ll both want to know. Cadmus and the missing aliens—I know where they are.”

“What, really?” Supergirl asks, pleased. “Okay, let’s get you out of here, and then you can tell me all about it.”

“What—I?” Lena stutters, confused.

Supergirl gives her an impatient look. “How’d these idiots get past your security? You’re not safe here. Come on.” She holds out her arms, and Lena shakes her head but lets herself be carried again. And she can’t pretend it’s not absolutely thrilling to fly through the air in Supergirl’s arms.

They’re at her apartment in mere seconds, and Supergirl gently sets her down in her living room. “Wait here,” she says and disappears. 

She returns before Lena can finish wondering what she’s doing. “Okay. Your building is secure enough,” she reports, but she’s frowning. “Where’s the warehouse?”

Lena tells her, and Supergirl thanks her, but stays rooted to the spot, arms over her chest, scowling at nothing. “Perhaps you know some other people who’d like this information?” Lena suggests, and Supergirl shakes herself out of a trance. 

“I hate to leave you here alone,” she says, and Lena is touched.

“You checked the building security yourself. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Okay. Call Kara if you need anything, okay?” 

“I will,” she promises, and Supergirl gives her a conflicted smile, but heads off into the night.

 

After their ordeal is over, Kara takes Alex home, where Maggie is waiting. After kissing Alex, she pulls Kara into a hug, and Kara feels almost ready to collapse. “You okay, little Danvers?” Maggie asks, and Kara nods.

“Long night,” she says with a shaky smile.

“You wanna crash?” Maggie offers, and Kara almost says yes. To fall asleep on Alex’s couch, knowing she and Maggie are both nearby, would really do wonders. 

But there’s somewhere else she has to go. Maggie and Alex are good enough not to press for more information; they just crush her into a three-way hug and send her on her way. 

 

She gives up on trying to fall asleep after three hours of tossing and turning. How did her mother get past her security? How many people does she have in L Corp? Lena can’t stand the idea that she’ll never truly be free of Lillian. And so she is in her living room, distractedly pacing, when she is startled by a loud thump on her balcony. She lets out a shriek, but is almost immediately calmed by the voice that calls, “I’m sorry. It’s me, Lena. It’s just me.”

“Supergirl,” she breathes, opening the door.

“Are you all right?”

“Fine, I’m fine,” Kara insists, but she lets Lena help her inside. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, perfectly,” Lena says with a kind smile, and Kara nods, relieved. “And did you find them?” 

“Yes, but I used up…most of my powers,” she mutters. “I think I used the rest of them getting here.” She falls onto the couch, and Lena is alarmed. 

“Kara,” she says sharply, to hide her worry, and Supergirl’s head snaps up.

“What?” she asks, and then realization dawns. “Oh, crap.”

Lena laughs, but Kara hears fondness, and she figures this was bound to happen eventually.

“Oh geez. You called me Kara when I saved you!” she remembers, and Lena’s hand goes to her mouth.

“Oh, I didn’t even realize…”

“How long have you known?” Kara demands, and she is struck dumb by the sight of Lena Luthor looking sheepish. 

“Well. I have had my suspicions for…some time now. You…and Kara have the same smile.” 

“Oh,” Kara says, blushing. “And you’re not… I mean…”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Lena promises, and Kara sighs in relief. 

“I’m glad you know,” she says softly. “I didn’t… I didn’t like lying to you.”

“Well, if it helps, you weren’t particularly good at it,” Lena teases. “Out getting coffee with Kara Danvers tonight, were you?”

“Oh god,” Kara groans. “You could have put me out of my misery at any time.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Lena asks, and Kara can’t help the grin that spreads across her face.

“Evil,” she accuses, but Lena just winks and sits next to her.

Still wiped out, Kara’s instinct is to curl up and put her head in Lena’s lap. Lena tries to hide her surprise, but she really can’t believe she has Kara in her arms like this. She has been so sure that Kara has been oblivious to her flirting that she’s almost made it a game with herself to see how far she could go. But then she realizes Kara probably is still oblivious, just exhausted. So she lets herself carefully run her fingers through the mess of blonde hair in her lap.

“That feels nice,” Kara says sleepily.

“Are you going to fall asleep here?” Lena asks, but her voice is soft, and Kara just shifts against her to get more comfortable.

“Yes,” she decides, all her defenses utterly lowered, and Lena isn’t at all sorry to let her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small continuation, to fend off whatever nonsense happens on the show tonight.

Kara wakes up completely at a loss to where she is. There’s a couch, and someone has put a blanket over her, and she is still in her Supergirl clothes. Memories of the night before come drifting back, and she sits up, stunned to remember that she’s at Lena’s. “Lena?” she calls, sitting up. Her boots have been neatly placed next to the couch, so she begins to pull them on. 

There’s no answer from Lena, so she fumbles for her phone, which displays a text, sent at 7:16 a.m.   
Had to run to an early morning meeting. Hope you’re feeling all right. Stay as long as you like. x 

For a few minutes, Kara can only blink at her phone. She’d been exhausted when she’d gotten here last night, but she was so upset that Lena had been threatened in her own office. There was no way she was going to leave her alone. But she’d just passed out as soon as she’d gotten here. “Some security detail you are, Danvers,” she mutters, and then realizes she’s going to be late for work. 

She manages to get to Catco just in time. But the bullpen goes quiet as soon as the others notice her, and her heart sinks. Snapper is obviously less than thrilled with her blog post. She’s still not sure it was the right choice, but she also doesn’t think she regrets it. That is, until she sees all of her things in a box on her desk. 

“You’re firing me,” she says quietly, and Snapper confirms. He’s mad, of course, but he actually seems more disappointed, which she hates. 

Still, there’s nothing to do, no protest to make. All that’s left is to take her things and leave Catco as quickly as she can. Once she gets outside, she can’t take it, and just Supergirls herself home. She sets her things on the kitchen counter and then collapses onto her couch, feeling completely unmoored. 

After a while of feeling sorry for herself, she fishes her phone out of her pocket again. The text from Lena is still at the top of her messages. Being alone right now isn’t great, and though some of her brain had reached for her phone with thought of calling Mon-El, she ends up walking downtown to LCorp. 

“Ms. Danvers! Is Ms. Luthor expecting you?” Lena’s assistant asks worriedly. 

“No, Jess, sorry. Is she busy?” Kara asks, feeling sheepish and stupid. She could have just texted Lena instead of coming all the way down here unannounced. 

“Never too busy for you, Kara,” Lena says from her office doorway. She smiles, and Kara’s sadness lifts every so slightly. 

“Sorry to bother you at work,” Kara mumbles, following her into the office. 

“I told you I always have time for you,” Lena says, shutting the door behind them. “What’s wrong?” 

“Snapper fired me,” Kara sighs, flinging herself onto the couch. 

Lena bites back a laugh at the dramatics, because this isn’t funny. But watching Supergirl belly flop onto her office couch without managing to immediately destroy it is…stunning. “I’m sorry, Kara. I shouldn’t have suggested—” 

“No, please. I did this. I wrote the thing, I published it. I just thought…” She trails off and puts a pillow over her head. 

Again, Lena has to stifle a laugh. Kara is acting so ridiculously…adorable. But she is clearly upset. “Come on,” Lena says gently, tugging her pillow away. “Don’t hide. Talk to me.” 

Kara sits up and looks at her, eyes red with tears, and it’s too much for Lena to take. She carefully gathers Kara into her arms. Kara accepts the comfort for a moment, but then makes herself pull away. 

“God. Lena, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be here,” she mutters. “You actually have a job, and—” 

“Kara. Stop it,” Lena orders. “I don’t have to do my job every second of the day. Please tell me how I can help you.” 

Finally, Kara relaxes. “I just… This is the one thing I’ve really wanted to do. And be. I mean, Supergirl—that’s just… what I can do. You know, that has nothing to do with who I am. This was what I could be, as me. Kara.” 

“You’re so much more than a Catco reporter or Supergirl,” Lena says softly. “And you’re not Supergirl just because you have super powers. You’re good and kind and brave, and you put yourself in danger to protect people you care about,” she continues, face flushing, and…shit. She’s letting her feelings to the surface again. She manages to clear her throat and calm down. She’s about to continue, but Kara interrupts. 

“Lena. Your heart is racing,” she notices, concerned. “Are you all right?” 

Lena smirks, beginning to realize what being actual friends with Supergirl will mean. She’s not going to be able to hide very much now. “I’m fine. I thought I was trying to help you.” 

Kara smiles a little. “You really think…that’s how you think of me?” she asks, sounding shy, and Lena’s heart is hammering so loudly she’s sure even Jess can hear it. 

“You are astonishing, Kara Danvers,” Lena says evenly, willing her heart to stop betraying her. “I told you. No one has ever stood up for me the way you have—and you barely even know me. I’m a member of the country’s most prominent alien-hating family, and you never once held it against me.” 

“It’s not fair to judge people on the actions of their family. And I do know you, Lena. That’s why I’m here, instead of tracking down Alex or…talking to my…boyfriend.” 

“Boyfriend?” Lena asks, before she can stop herself, and immediately wants to crawl into a hole. 

All she’s been doing, all day, has been remembering the way Kara curled up in her arms and almost immediately fell asleep. To have been entrusted with her safety, with her comfort, it was something she’d never even dared to hope for. She had foolishly allowed herself to think that maybe… Well, there was a boyfriend, so she was wrong. Like she always seems to be. 

“That’s not… Anyway, you’re good and kind, and you’re my friend. And I just wanted to see you,” Kara finishes lamely. 

“I can get you another job, anywhere,” Lena says, and Kara blinks. 

“Can you?” 

“Yes. I have connections at all of Catco’s competitors.” 

“Well. Thank you,” Kara sighs. “But I just… Catco really was my dream.” 

Lena nods. “Well, you don’t need to make up your mind now. The offer is good for whenever you think you might need it.” 

“Thank you,” Kara says again, her voice small. “Would you mind if I just…stayed here? While you work? I don’t think I… Well…” 

God, seeing Kara like this, so lost and so unsure, is too much. She’d take the rest of the day off if she could and take Kara home and give her whatever she needs, but there’s too much to be done this week. “Stay as long as you like,” is what she ends up saying, with a soft smile. 

Kara beams at her, sunlight breaking through the clouds for a brief moment, before she curls back up on the couch. 

And so Kara stays on the couch, alternately reading her phone and staring out the window, for the whole day. She leaves briefly and comes back with lunch, which completely charms Lena, but then she is back on the couch, moping. It’s fine for her to mope; it’s even fine for her to mope here. But Lena really wishes there was something she could to do ease Kara’s pain. 

Finally, she’s gotten enough done that she can call it quits for the evening. The sun is setting, and Kara has fallen asleep, and all she can do is stand by her desk and watch her sleep. She’d really thought her feelings were physical, mostly, but then Kara had gone and risked her life to save her even though everyone had already condemned her for working with Lillian. It had been…difficult to process how deeply she’d come to care about Kara. 

“You’re starting to freak me out, Lena,” Kara says, startling her. 

“Oh. What?” is all she can say. 

“You’ve been standing completely still for more than five minutes. Staring at me.” 

“I thought you were asleep,” she stammers, feeling foolish. 

“I was, I think. But I heard you get up. And then you hadn’t moved since.” Kara pushes herself to her feet. She comes to stand beside her and takes her hand. 

“Let me take you to dinner,” Lena finds herself saying, surprising both of them. 

“Oh. I’m not… I mean, I’m a mess, and I’m not very good company right now.” 

“I just thought…maybe to take your mind off of things for a while.” Lena sighs and moves away, but Kara still holds onto her hand. “Kara…” 

“I’m sorry,” Kara says softly. “I wasn’t…I didn’t know to look for it, so I didn’t realize…” 

Lena’s heart begins to pound. There’s no way Kara’s not hearing that, so she decides to believe Kara means what she thinks she means. “It was fun to flirt with you, at first,” she says distantly. “You’d get flustered, but I could tell you didn’t know why. I kind of thought you were a goofy kid, trailing after Clark. But it quickly became clear that you are not.” She takes a breath and turns to face Kara, who is watching her, eyes soft, and patiently waiting for her to finish. “You’re the only person who’s been there for me, Kara. You risked your life for me.” Her eyes meet Kara’s, and there’s a stillness, a tension between them that Lena is going to have to break. 

Part of her wishes that Kara would be the one to make the first move, to let her know that she truly understands, but she doesn’t believe Kara ever will. So she steps forward, once, and lets Kara adjust to the lack of space between them. When Kara doesn’t pull away, Lena carefully kisses her. 

“Oh,” Kara says, sounding awestruck, when they part. “Is that…” She shakes her head, trying to clear her thoughts. 

“Forgive me,” Lena whispers, but Kara’s arms are around her waist. And then Kara’s lips are against hers again. 

There is no urgency, no desire to push things any further, from either of them. Lena lets herself be held, and Kara lets herself sink into this new feeling. Eventually, they break apart, breathless and shy and laughing a bit. “Well. Nothing about this day has gone as I’d expected,” Kara says, feeling a little silly. 

She’d never even thought to wonder if what she was feeling for Lena was more than normal friendship. There was always something about her that Kara felt she could trust, and she didn’t have many female friends these days, so… But it should have been clear when she’d risked being blown apart by kryptonite to save her, to the distress of every other person who loves her. And the way she’d felt watching Lena fall off the LCorp building—that also should have been a clue. 

But romance has never been her strong suit. 

“I have to go,” she realizes, thinking of Mon-El. She has to put a stop to that right away. 

“Oh. Of course,” Lena says, unable to hide her hurt. 

“Oh god,” Kara says agitatedly, “not because of you. Because of me. I have to get rid of—” She takes a breath. “I have this sort of boyfriend, and I don’t want to…ruin things with you before they even start. So I have to talk to him. And then… Um, and then maybe you can take me to dinner? If you still want?” She feels completely unsteady and exactly like the goofy kid Lena had assumed she was in the first place. But this—the way Lena had kissed her, it was everything her heart has been missing. 

“I’d love to,” Lena says with a smile. 

Kara grins. She knows she has to go, but she can’t make herself leave. So she kisses Lena again. “What about your poor boyfriend?” Lena laughs, and Kara shakes her head. 

“He can wait.”


End file.
